Standardized Recruitment
Who Can Recruit? The system for determining who is eligible to recruit is simple. Anyone who is at the rank of Lay Priest or Apprentice is being watched closely for leadership qualities, OOC and IC. As such, anyone exceeding those ranks and some in those ranks may begin to officiate. Recruitment Eligibility For an applicant to be granted a chance to join the Order of Novices, he or she must have attained the twentieth season. The applicant must be a citizen of the Alliance. There are no age requirements. If the applicant has a criminal record, then he or she must have served time for the crimes. If the crimes are severe, such as manslaughter or rape, then the applicant may have to serve penance before he or she can join the church at the Bishop's discretion. Foreword to Presiding Clergymen One of the Church should always be provoking discerning of ecclesial vocation in others, laity and unaffiliated alike. It is not the responibility of the Bishop, nor the ordained, nor solely the novices to recruit, as, again, ALL members of Clergy and lately should have evangelism in mind for others. The first step to proper provokation of contemplation is our own lives and how we live them. As Clergy, we are vowed to contemplated lives of moral conviction, truly to act exemplarily to the others of the world. When you are contemplating how you can recruit others, also consider the Virtues and Doctrine of the Church, and how you are following them in every aspect of your life. It is suggested by many a scholar that the majority of the adherents of the Light are not obtained by the cloistered, pretentious-seeming heirarchy, or abrasive speeches, but meerly the exemplary presense the Church has had for years and years, and shall continue to have under His Holiness, Benedictus and his successors forever and ever. Remember to go into the conversation with a clear mind. You want to be an exemplary clergyman of high standards to yourself. Promote small talk. Don't go right through the standard conversation like a clockwork. Enjoy yourself and make sure the layman is enjoying his/herself. Remember the handcakes and tea as an accessory to conversation. MAKE SURE THE LAYMAN KNOWS THAT HIS RECRUITMENT TO THE NOVITATE IS OUR HONOR, NOT OUR CHORE! Introductory The following process has four parts: ((the OOC,)) the written form, the oral exchanges, and the vows. The Out-of-Character ((The OOC includes putting a brief Wikia entry of the history of your character. Be sure to clarify with the applicant on an OOC level anything that he or she needs, or assist in backstory creation. This is a heavy RP guild and your character simply can not be played correctly unless you have his/her history stapled down. The Wikia Entry may be omitted at the discretion of the presiding guild member. Afterwards the following can be copy/pasted in an appropriate OOC chat channel, such as whisper/party. Never speak OOC in say, use party, whisper, or emote if necessary. OOC should not be used AT ALL in RP unless someone speaks to you OOC first. If involved with a godmoding fighter, RESPECTFULLY whisper him or her OOCly to give friendly CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Friendly CONSTRUCTIVE criticism may be given to your peers, but respect their decision not to abide it. Never insult or denounce other individuals or guilds' role-playing skill, in ALL public AND private channels. Refrain from using excessive vulgar language.)) The Forms To be considered for training and future enlistment in the Order of Novices, all hopeful laymen must fill out, to their best ability, the following information. In doing so, the prospective layman must answer all questions truthfully. If any information submitted is found to be untrue, the Bishop is at liberty to excommunicate the Novice. The form is as follows. What is your full name? What is your date of birth, following the Lotharian Calendar? The current year is 27 L.C. __/__/__ (P.C. or L.C.) Where was your place of birth? Where is your current civilian residence? Province: (Zone) District: (Sub-zone) Do you have a criminal record, and if so, please list your recorded offenses. Please list all of your previous occupations or jobs, including your titles and duties. Do you have any close relatives or friends, or next of kin, that would be able to handle your legal obligations should you leave this plane for the next? If so, list their names and relationship to you. End form. Unless it can be otherwise arranged, this form should be sent to an ordained Priest or anointed Knight of the Silver Hand within the diocese of application if the. It is not until this is approved to church record that the next part of the recruitment to the Order of Novices. Oral Exchange The IC oral exchange can be modified if deemed necessary by the presiding clergyman. Otherwise, copy/paste is acceptable. Start Oral Exchange The nature of the temporary vows, known internally as the period of novitate, is something to be layman of. You are not bound to these vows by law and may dissolve them at any time by speaking with an Ordained/Anointed Priest/Paladin and returning your liturgical robes. These vows are not vows of piety. They are simply meant to keep order within the Order of Novices while the Order is taught. The novitate is a time of learning of the Church and the Clergy and how things are done from a vantage point not available to Laymen. Are you aware of the Three Virtues? (If they are not, explain to them politely the Virtues and that these are the prime doctrine of the Church, the Three Holy Virtues.) Are you ready to take your temporary vows and take up the cloth in the first step to your vocation? End Oral Exchange After this part of the process is completed, you may immediately take the layman to the altar of the House of Light you are gathered in. You will instruct him to stand while he takes his vows, putting his hand on the holy codex that is on the altar at all times. The Temporary Vows/Blessing of the Habit Start of Vows to the Order of Novices/Temporary Vows Do you vow to obedience to the Patriarch of the Church, Archbishop Benedictus, His Most Excellency and all of his worthy predecessors and successors for as long as you shall be bound by your temporary vows? Do you vow to obedience to the doctrine of the Church for as long as you shall be a clergyman of the Order of Novices? Do you Swear to, for as long as you are under this Church, to adhere to the Three Virtues and to strive for spiritual growth? End Temporary Vows The habit of the Novice should be placed on the altar by the presiding clergyman reverently. ((Kneel and then place the habit on the altar. Novice Habit: Brown Linen Robes, Green Cape, Green Hood/Durable Hat, Sandals or appropriate shoes, white shirt. )) Habit Blessing Just as this Novice is clothed with this habit, may the Holy Light cloth them in divine absolution. May it be so. End of Blessing The Afterwards Shake the Novice's hand and take him from the altar to the rectory to change. There it would be appropriate to explain that this is a communal house, everything around him is his and the church's. All are welcome in the rectory. If the novice should show interest, make him some tea and sit to answer any further questions. Who to never accept People with attitudes People with poor grammar People with questionable concept of RP If the presiding clergyman has questions, he should always ask before inviting the player.